Gleda Marie Edwards

GLEDA MARIE (GRIGGRY) EDWARDS, 92, a Methodist Pastor’s wife for over 40 years, went to be with the Lord and loved ones who preceded her on July 27, 2017. She was born in the North East corner of the state in Beech Grove, Arkansas, on September 28, 1925, the daughter of John and Elsie Griggry. She attended school in Beech Grove from first through twelfth grades.

She was married shortly after graduation to Ray Hamilton Edwards of Beech Grove on November 19, 1942. Gleda holds a rather distinguished record of being married twice in two days to the same man; but that’s a story for another time.

Initially, Gleda became a farm wife while Ray began his passion for farming in the rich bottoms land of Beech Grove. When her husband became a Christian and later received the call to become a Methodist Pastor, Gleda also became a “weekend widow” while Ray would leave the farm on Friday afternoons to preach in small communities in the area and return home Sunday evenings. During this time, Gleda gave birth to two of her five children, two daughters. For years during his early pastorates, Ray gained more education than his eighth grade education from Beech Grove; he began taking theology courses at Hendrix College and graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas (SMU), with the help of Gleda tutoring him, usually the night before each exam.

When her husband was offered full time charges under the North Arkansas Methodist Conference, Gleda became a full time pastor’s wife as well as mother; tragically one of their daughters, Kathy, passed away at two years of age while the family was working the farm. During the early pastorate charges, she gave birth to another daughter and two sons.

From 1948 until their retirement in 1986, she followed her husband to churches in North Arkansas communities, such as: Clover Bend, Pleasant Ridge, Lorado, Manila, Griffithville, Moorefield, Mountain View, Gentry, Yellville, Searcy, Monette, Wheatley, Cotter/Bull Shoals, Tyronza, Prairie Grove, Paragould/Shiloh, Dardenelle, Cherry Valley, and finally Bald Knob. The pastorate was particularly difficult on Gleda as both pastor’s wife and mother especially when the tradition at that time was to move every one to three years with most of the family’s stays being one to two years before moving to the next church. Gleda retired along with her husband to Mountain Home in 1986, where both became active in the First United Methodist Church there.

Gleda is survived by two sons, Don (Susie) Edwards of Bartlesville, OK and Gary Edwards of Gassville, AR; two sons-in-law, Charles Burroughs of Winfield, KS and Dave Taylor of Clarksville, AR; six grandchildren, Nick (Mitzi) Burroughs of Wichita, KS, Sherri (Perry) Cleaveland of McKinney, TX, Holly (Bobby) Edwards of Tulsa, OK, Sarah Kate (Josiah) Fehlauer of Tulsa, OK, Erik Edwards of Jonesboro, AR, and Eden Edwards of Mountain Home, AR; eleven great-grandchildren, Tyler Burroughs, Courtney Paige (Matt) Jordon, Cale Burroughs, and Trey (Kelsey) Cleaveland, all of Wichita, KS, Corey Cleaveland of McKinney, TX, Olivia, Peoria, & Minnesota Fehlauer of Tulsa, OK, and Celia, Ayanna, and Jasmine Conway of Tulsa, OK; and five great-great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters and brothers, and her three daughters: Kathy Edwards, Martha Angela "Angie" Taylor, and Carol Jeannette Burroughs.

Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm, August 5, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in Paragould, Arkansas, with burial at Beech Grove Cemetery beside her baby, Kathy, her husband, Ray, and mother, Elsie. Visitation will be from 10 am until service time, at the church.

Memorials may be made in the name Gleda Marie Edwards to the First United Methodist Church of Mountain Home.


Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services.